Tundra Swans at LEMP - 14 Dec 2004

14 December 2004 Lake Erie Metropark, Monroe Co.

1530 Hrs.  Drove down to LEMP after work today.  Temps 28-30ºC partly clear and cold.  Inland waters were frozen with a thin layer of ice.  The big lake was open and there were several hundred Tundra Swans swimming near shore.  Also present were several hundred Canvasbacks, a few Mallard, American Wigeon and a single Ruddy Duck.  

I tried digiscoping the swans from shore.  Winds and cold numbed the fingers quickly and made photographing a challenge.  I could barely feel the shutter and had a hard time keeping focus while the camera slowed under the cold weather.  

Skies darkened by 4:30pm despite the fact that we’re still a week away from the Winter Solstice and shortest day of the year.  I managed a few good shots of the Tundra Swans:  look for gape on side of mouth, rounded border of bill, and narrow lores at eye.  Most of the swans have yellow tear drops/spots.  Sibley’s Guide describes Trumpeters having thicker lores at eyes, pointed border, and larger, straighter bill w/ NO yellow on lores.

Cove Point, Lake Erie Metropark, Wayne, Michigan, US
Dec 14, 2004 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments:     Inland ponds frozen; lots of waterfowl (too many to count);
4 species

Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)  200     bottom end of estimate of several hundred.
American Wigeon (Mareca americana)  6
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  12
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S41729946

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)